Barts Best of: the best of Hasselt, Belgium
Hasselt? Yes, Hasselt. The city may not be on the first page of your dance card, but it Belgian Hasselt, a stone's throw from Limburg Maastricht, is an excellent choice for a short city trip. Not least because of the Fashion Museum and the Modern House for Contemporary Art Z33, two inspiring addresses that you really should visit at least once. We did, and we came to appreciate Hasselt for its compactness and Burgundian character.
Anyone who wants to have a 'bit of culture' has been going to Kunstlaan 18 in Hasselt for a long time. That's where Brousse is located, a, as they say, 'world of art, culinary delight, music, sustainability and groundbreaking innovation, all brought together in one place'. Okay, that's fine. We think it's a cool place, which became even cooler thanks to Brousse Table by Elien: in the morning hours you can sit down for a fresh, seasonal breakfast and lunch by @eliengielen (and that is also very nice and inspiring to follow on 'the gram').
Boulebar in Hasselt is a beautiful stately mansion and is above all an excellent summer address thanks to the terrace in front of the door and the small courtyard. But inside, when it's chilly outside, it's certainly a good place to be too! Dishes are placed on the tables to share: a well-known concept that we are still crazy about. Moreover, the place is more like a living room than a restaurant, with high ceilings and wooden paneling. And at home we always put everything on the table, for grabs. You can go to Boulebaar all day long, from brunch onwards. The couple who run the business 'sit' on their coffee: in addition to an espresso and a cappuccino, you can also go to Boulebaar for continuous coffee and slow coffee. Please note: they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Really 'eat out, eat out' Hasselt join in restaurant Ogst. The classy restaurant is located in a dark building from 1872. Through a heavy curtain you enter a small but spacious room: white painted brick wall, UFO-style lamps on the high ceiling, relaxed jazz from the speakers, open kitchen, the tables comfortably far apart. There are no more than 26 place settings and tables are not rotated twice – hallelujah in a time where we regularly have to register for the early or late shift.
Read more: Ogst
Because of that name alone we would immediately return to the charming hotel 't Hemelhuys in lovely Hasselt, because it is heavenly there. And charming too. The small-scale hotel with only five rooms in the heart of Hasselt is a project of two friends, Anne and Liesbeth. They gave all five rooms in the hotel names that refer to gemstones: Aventurine, Pearl, Amethyst, Aquamarine and Tourmaline.
Read more: 't Hemelhuys
You didn't know you were missing it until you Blos discovered: a beautiful, fresh beauty store with affordable beauty for your face and body. The Belgian e-store for responsible beauty products was launched 2 years ago by make-up artist Kim Maes. And now there is a real store in Hasselt. Here you will find high-quality (and as much natural as possible) care products and cosmetics. Not to be missed if you ask us, when life gives you Hasselt…
Sleeping in Hasselt has been great since September 2015 YUP. A contemporary hotel in the center of the city. For yuppies, you know, the well-known Young Urban Professionals. Young business people and anyone who wants to fit into that category. In any case, anyone who does not have a standard, classic hotel in mind. There are 59 rooms, cabins, that are small and very efficiently furnished - everything you need in a few square meters, just like the citizenM hotel chain and the POD hotel in New York do. Twelve square meters, a large, good bed, deep, dark colors, a great shower and less than 60 euros per room for two per night.
Read more: YUP Hotel
First things first: drinks - recovery: the apéro - is possible bardot in Hasselt. Spanish cheeses and charcuterie, cavas and a variety of gin and tonics. The store itself is a mix of wood tones, soft colors, striking tiles and here and there a (Brigitte) Bardot on the wall. And then continue as usual to the Rosch restaurant.
Restaurant Ross from owners Nicolle and Glenn, it is located in a small building near the Hasselt inner canal. The interior is sober and neat, with an open kitchen and a total of twenty place settings. Nicolle does the service and the pastry, Glenn runs the rest of the kitchen. The thinly sliced Iberico hams and crackers with dukkah herbs, pork belly with langoustine, rhubarb, and peas, chili and coriander, and more are delicious. Although nothing beats the perfectly cooked lamb with green asparagus, feta and mint. But the best part is if you choose the whole package. Because if you choose the delicious 4/5-course menu, you will have tasted everything in one go. Exactly what you should do at this restaurant, because you really just want everything from here.
Zuppa Hasselt soup lovers, don't worry. Zuppa Hasselt is closed, but a new soup bar will take its place. Is that something to enjoy? Ciao Zuppa is the new name of the soup bar. Still led by Heleen Timmermans (who was also the owner of Zuppa). Heleen will also make the soups fresh at this location with a lot of attention to local products.
Ciao Zuppa should open sometime around March, so we're eagerly awaiting the go-ahead.
The Italian you need in your life. With a huge choice, you can serve a variety of pasta dishes Pocomatto order. And not that simple, but nice and luxurious. Pair it with a glass of prosecco and voilà, your night out has suddenly become a lot more chic. Because that's exactly why you want to go to Pacomatto. Be pampered extensively with one soul warming plate of pasta in front of you.
And not only an evening out is possible here. An evening at home is also within the range. Very tasty, because then you can enjoy that delicious plate of pasta on your own couch.
You can come here at any time of the day. Except for dinner, because By Liv closes at 17 p.m. So come by if you fancy one breakkie or a nice lunch. The coffee machine here is glowing all day, which can only be a good sign. You can also go here for a glass of wine. And the dishes? Delicious and freshly made. You can even buy some of the products on the menu at the one and only Deli corner.
And they also have enough for the kids. A small play area and a tasty kids menu.
Fancy cake? Always of course. But for really tasty cake you have to go Tarte Tatin are, a real cake shop in Hasselt. The store is also beautifully and classically decorated, with those old lounge chairs and sofas. But first let's get something straight, please let's not call it a shop, because that's swearing in church. Tarte Tatin has its own cake house. Here you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with a large piece of cake. Exactly, at Tarte Tatin you get that grandmother effect, a cozy homely atmosphere.
Also nice to know, Tarte Tatin is a family business. Mother and daughter are fresh and fruity in the kitchen every morning to prepare the cakes and goodies for the opening.
So… what are you waiting for? On to Tarte Tatin. On to Hasselt.
This doesn't seem to be about chefs' stories, but rather about a cocktail bar called Cooks&Tales. Exactly, “kok-tales” indeed, nice phonetic. At this cocktail bar you can enjoy both classic cocktails and adventurous creations. From one Holy Mother Mary to one Big Daddy's Mule, to one Blazing Britt expats must register with the local municipality and obtain a Frozen Nuclear Margarita. In any case, it is not due to the originality of the names. Koks&Tales has recently also been added to the list of 150 bars you must visit before you die. If they say so, we have to stop by, right?
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